Check out Jeffrey Bess’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeffrey Bess.

Jeffrey, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours? I was born in Macomb, Illinois and raised in Bloomington, Illinois. I had a passion for art as early as grade school and had an amazing high school art teacher who encouraged me to continue my art education. After High school, I moved with family to Miami, Florida where I attended Miami Dade Community College and majored in fine art (AA). The art faculty at the time included artists Robert Thiele and sculptor Duane Hanson. Once again, I had very influential art instructors who were instrumental in guiding me to develop of my own style. Moving back to central Illinois, I studied painting under Harold Gregor, continuing my fine art studies at Illinois State University. (BA)

Missing the warmth of Miami, I moved back and found a job as an illustrator and page layout artist at a newspaper in Hollywood Florida. I was then offered a graphic design position at an advertising agency where I met my wife. After a few years, we tired of the stress and long hours of a busy agency, and left to start our own home-based graphic design business. It was tough going at first, but we stuck it out and business finally picked up. In a short time, it got almost too busy, needing additional help. A happy problem.

We decided after a few years to leave Miami behind and I returned to Bloomington with my wife and continued our business here. Spending so many years working long hours at in advertising, I had rarely painted anything since leaving Illinois State. This always nagged at me. An artist who did not create art. I had convinced myself graphic design was enough of a creative outlet. In 2008, after the “great recession,” I found myself with spare time on my hands. My wife encouraged me to start painting again. I worked through being rusty after such a long absence, and I am painting every day. I’m now very much a part of a vibrant and very supportive art community here, and look forward to growing and showing outside of Central Illinois.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I am a painter working with acrylic on canvas. I consider myself a minimalist of contemporary realism. I design spaces with simple compositions and isolate them so they resonate with a sense of volume, drama, power, and many times, humor. I emphasize the luminosity found in our surroundings and embolden the discarded or overlooked of the everyday. I hope to find success in helping the viewer see and appreciate some of this intimate beauty.

What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
I think the ever-evolving internet can be rewarding and challenging in all businesses today. Artists have so many vehicles to get their art seen and exposed to so many around the world. We aren’t restricted to physical brick and mortar galleries today to be seen. At the same, there are so many talented artists on the internet and social media it can be easy to get lost in all of it and can be overwhelming. Artists need to do whatever they can to make their work stand out.

Cities, communities and businesses can help artists by buying local art. I’ve found, there is great local art from the smallest town to a big city like Chicago. Businesses like restaurants, banks and any place there is a waiting room can also adopt practices of hosting local artists and their work. These venues Can enhance their decor with amazing art, which will make their space look better to their customers and help them do more business. By hosting exhibitions, they gain two huge advantages: First, the art doesn’t end up costing them anything. Second, every few months they can change the exhibition and have a totally new art collection to share with their customers. This can expose one’s art to people who might not go into galleries.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
Exhibitions, etc. I’m currently represented by Main Gallery 404 in Bloomington, Illinois and have been invited to show at Jan Brandt Gallery, David Erlanson Art Gallery at Richmond Community College and have shown in group shows at Zhoe B Art curated by Poets Artists Magazine and Sergio Gomez. I will be having a solo show in the Armstrong Gallery at the Mclean County Arts Center, Bloomington, Illinois January 11 – February 15, 2019.

I am a member of the Illinois Artists’ List: https://illinoisartistslist.com/
My Blog is: https://jeffbessart.blogspot.com/
Facebook page: Jeff Bess Art
Instagram: @jeffbessart
Ello: @jeffbessart
Saatchi Art: http://www.saatchiart.com/account/artworks/703425
Email: jeffbessart@gmail.com

Contact Info:

• Address: 1205 Broadmoor Dr.
  Bloomington, IL 61704
• Website: https://jeffbessart.blogspot.com/
• Phone: 305.978.5840
• Email: jefbessart@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffbessart/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffreybessart/

Image Credit:
Jeffrey Bess

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